Terrorist Attack on a Norwegian Youth Camp Leaves (at least) 90 Dead

After a bombing rocked Oslo centre this afternoon, a shooter disguised as a policeman was able to approach a small island (Utøya) on which a summer camp was held. This summer camp is staged there every year by the AUF, the youth league affiliated with Norway's Labour Party. It's something of a political summer camp, associated with the social-democratic left: the shooter is now reported to be veering on the extreme right of the political spectrum. (Personally, I think this brand of craziness transcends political spectra, but whatever. At least this is better than initial reports immediately speculating on the man's muslim heritage, whereas the shooter turned out to be a blonde, born'n bred Norwegian.)

The events are fairly straightforward, which doesn't make them less horrible or tragic: the 'police man' whips out a gun and starts shooting left and right, leaving at least 84 dead in his wake. (The death toll is currently set at around 90, which combines the victims of the shooting with that of the bombing.) Given the situation and the place, most victims fall into the 14 to 21 age bracket.

The man is ultimately detained and is currently being questioned. He serves as the main suspect of both the shooting and the bombing.

A rather comprehensive article can be found here.

Here's some more about the suspect.

84? Last night when I saw that in the train station, it said four. How do you get that wrong??

Well, the BBC article says "scores" so 84 is nearer likely than 4. Four isn't 'scores'.

I notice, too, that he describes himself as a Christian, but commentators aren't calling him a "Christian terrorist" whereas if he'd been Muslim they'd describe him as a Muslim terrorist in a heartbeat.

Apparently he's just a Christian Fundamentalist, and not a Terrorist. Even though the attacks may be politically based. And the media is encouraging us to be understanding, rather than burning the guy at the stake, which is what we'd get if he was Islamic.

91. Oh god, that's... that's terrible.

Apparently there are still parents who don't know if their kids are alive or dead...

And nobody is quite sure of his motives...

He's Norway's version of Timothy McVeigh.

Oh GOD, undetonated explosives were found on the island after the attack...

Apparently he was very calm and methodical which is how he managed to shoot so many, that and the police uniform which made people think he was a cop.

Oh this is awful...

Harley Quinn hyenaholic wrote:

Oh GOD, undetonated explosives were found on the island after the attack...

Apparently he was very calm and methodical which is how he managed to shoot so many, that and the police uniform which made people think he was a cop.

Oh this is awful...

And when help arrived, some survivors feared they were more gunmen.

Yeah, they were telling cops to throw down their weapons.

And some people survived by hiding under dead bodies.

It's like something from a teen horror film only with a higher body count...

Jesus fucking christ.

What the hell is wrong with people? Who seriously looks at this idea in their head and goes "Yep, I'm going to go kill scores of teenagers at summer camp. That'll get my point across." What flavor of crazy is that?

Lexin wrote:

Well, the BBC article says "scores" so 84 is nearer likely than 4. Four isn't 'scores'.

I notice, too, that he describes himself as a Christian, but commentators aren't calling him a "Christian terrorist" whereas if he'd been Muslim they'd describe him as a Muslim terrorist in a heartbeat.

Doesn't that kind of depend on whether or not he committed the bombing and shooting due to political or religious beliefs? It seems to me most Muslim Terrorists are given that description because they claim their act was committed for Allah. Whereas if this guy did it because he thinks the Labor party are the scum and he's so far on the right spectrum, you can't add his religious beliefs into the mix unless he says it was for God.

But of course news sources are incredibly biased too.

That...is...so...horrible.

My best friend from high school's foster father, a community leader, was killed by a disturbed right-wing gunman. Only two people died in that attack. I can't imagine how survivors, families, a community, and a nation feel when there are at least 90 dead...

And someone's trying to blame it on the Muslims anyway.

Quote :

"Nothing explains this level of violence," said former U.S. intelligence officer Richard Ayers, who is based in London.

"If you make the assumption that this man's right-wing views were precipitated by the significant increase in Muslim migration into Norway...over the last several years, then one could logically see why he would want to strike back at the government for allowing that.

"And that's what he did, he struck at the government."

Quote :

"Nothing explains this level of violence," said former U.S. intelligence officer Richard Ayers, who is based in London.

"If you make the assumption that this man's right-wing views were precipitated by the significant increase in Muslim migration into Norway...over the last several years, then one could logically see why he would want to strike back at the government for allowing that.

"And that's what he did, he struck at the government."

There is not enough facepalm in the world for that statement.

There's not enough clue-by-fours either. What a complete and total fucking idiot. How dare he try and put this on someone who had nothing to do with it? It can't possibly the poor white, conservative man's fault, he was driven to it by his hatred of them Muslims! It's their fault for daring to want to live someplace!

Almost a hundred kids were murdered you jackass. Blame the man who pulled the fucking trigger.

Purposefully killing civilians =/= fighting the government
Purposefully killing civilians =/= fighting your ideological opposition
Purposefully killing civilians = cowardice

Salamas wrote:

Doesn't that kind of depend on whether or not he committed the bombing and shooting due to political or religious beliefs? It seems to me most Muslim Terrorists are given that description because they claim their act was committed for Allah.

Yes, this. Although there is truth to what Lexin says in the sense that, had this guy been Muslim, people would be calling him an Islamist terrorist, whether he did it for religious reasons or not.

I also feel that you don't get to shoot nearly 90 teenagers and still call yourself Christian.

Sure you can call yourself a Christian. Others may call you an insane menace to society, but you can call yourself anything up to and including a pretty pink pony if you so choose.

Shisaiga wrote:

And someone's trying to blame it on the Muslims anyway.

Quote :

"Nothing explains this level of violence," said former U.S. intelligence officer Richard Ayers, who is based in London.

"If you make the assumption that this man's right-wing views were precipitated by the significant increase in Muslim migration into Norway...over the last several years, then one could logically see why he would want to strike back at the government for allowing that.

"And that's what he did, he struck at the government."

Of course it could also be the Jews fault...

Spoiler:

I have nothing but white-hot fury for anyone who tries to deflect the blame off the guy who pulled the trigger. Especially the people who seem to be trying to justify it by equating the Norwegian Labour Party with fascists.

These were innocents. They did nothing to "deserve" this. No amount of justifying will excuse the actions of a craven coward who attacked people who could not fight back, and anyone who tries to do so deserves to be shamed, ostracized, and treated as the gutter-snipe they are.

Spotts1701 wrote:

I have nothing but white-hot fury for anyone who tries to deflect the blame off the guy who pulled the trigger. Especially the people who seem to be trying to justify it by equating the Norwegian Labour Party with fascists.

These were innocents. They did nothing to "deserve" this. No amount of justifying will excuse the actions of a craven coward who attacked people who could not fight back, and anyone who tries to do so deserves to be shamed, ostracized, and treated as the gutter-snipe they are.

IAWTC.

I've already had to point out elsewhere that this isn't "striking at the government." That Ayers guy might be right in that that's what the shooter thought he was doing and why he did it, but what he did was bomb and shoot up a youth camp. That's pretty much a textbook case of doing it wrong. Or, more accurately, terrorism.

But Penguin, white people can't be terrorists! No, no, he was just a confused young man who murdered a bunch of innocent people to make his perceived enemies afraid.

Oh wait.